Wednesday, March 14, 2012

(This is a general interpretation and teaching of Holy Scripture. Please do not take our word as law, read the Word of G-D for yourself, pray, ask for knowledge and G-D our Father will give it to you.)

We continue in Matthew 21 and the fulfillment of the prophecy mentioned by Zechariah in chapter 9. This is an extremely important prophecy as it clearly defines Yeshua (Jesus). It also emphatically discounts the popular 1st century Israel interpretation of the Messiah as someone who would come as a warrior to slaughter the enemy, who would have been the Romans.

Matthew 21

1. And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples,

2. Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me.

3. And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.

4. All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,

5. Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.

6. And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them,

7. And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.

8. And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.

9. And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.

10. And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?

11. And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee

The prophecy in Zechariah Chapter 9 was fulfilled in Yeshua (Jesus) the Christ.

9. Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.

This prophecy is one of the most important Messianic prophecies in the Hebrew Bible as it describes key features of the Messiah.

He is a King

He is Just

He has Salvation

He is Lowly

And He appears in Jerusalem riding upon as Ass or Donkey

We can also tie this prophecy to other Messianic prophecies such as Isaiah 53 where it describes the Messiah as being an offering for sin which would in turn provide the world salvation.

Isaiah 53

5. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

......

7. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

8. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.

.....

10. Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.

11. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

12. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

These Messianic prophecies follow a similar pattern of describing the Messiah as someone who would be capable of providing salvation and as someone who is meek and lowly. Isaiah 53 describes how the Messiah would provide salvation and that is through his own blood, a true sacrifice to G-D. Zechariah 9:9 repeats that the Messiah will bring not only an everlasting kingship through the seed of David but would alsobring Salvation.

Thursday, March 1, 2012

(This is a general interpretation of Holy Scripture. Please do not take our word as law as there is only one law and that is the Commandments of G-D. Pray for knowledge and G-D will give it to you)

We continue in Matthew chapter 20 and Yeshua's foretelling of the Crucifixion. We also examine a very important scripture that yet again shows Yeshua's submissiveness to our Father our G-D. We also find yet another extremely important lesson, or direct order, from Yeshua with regard to the fact that there should be no extreme hierarchy within the Church, we are all equal and have one master and that is G-D. We also read of another miracle performed by Yeshua, that miracle being the healing of the blind.

Matthew 20

17. And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them,

18. Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death,

19. And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again.

This is Jesus' third and final prediction of his own death and Resurrection. It seems Yeshua is pounding this prophecy into the heads of his disciples to prepare them for this inevitable event.

Matthew 20

20. Then came to him the mother of Zebedees children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him.

21. And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom.

22. But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able.

23. And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.

24. And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren.

This is extremely important lesson from Yeshua as it clearly states, as Yeshua said many times, that even Christ has a master and that master is his Father our G-D. Yeshua clearly shows in this lesson that there are some things even he cannot do, or requests that even he cannot grant. We should understand this teaching from Christ and use it to strengthen our resolve in our every day approach to G-D. This ties into the Fear of G-D and how we should understand that fear and use that fear to increase our knowledge of the Holy Word.

Matthew 20

25. But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.

26. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;

27. And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:

28. Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

This is one of the single most important lessons from Yeshua. In this teaching, as he stated many times before, he instructs us that we will not exercise authority over our brethren in the Church. We must not establish a religious throne. We shall not have religious rulers.

Matthew 20

29. And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed him.

30. And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David.

31. And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David.

32. And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you?

33. They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened.

34. So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.

We read in these verses yet another miracle performed by Yeshua. There is an underlying lesson hidden within these verses. We may ask ourselves this; why didn't Jesus simply walk up to the men and heal them, why did he stand still and call them to him? Yeshua was constantly testing the faith of others. He wanted them to declare to him what they desired.